Crossposted from The People's View
One of President Obama's major goal is ratifying the agreement signed on April 8, 2010, with President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia that would commit the U.S. and Russia to cut their deployed nuclear weapons by about 30 percent limiting their nuclear warheads to 1,550 within the next seven years.
The treaty has passed through the Senate Foreign Relations committee on Sept. 16, 2010, with a 14-4 vote with all Democrats voting to approve the resolution along with Republican Sens. Richard Lugar (R-IN), Bob Corker (R-TN), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA).
Four Senators, James Inhofe (R-OK), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Jim Risch (R-ID) VOTED NO with South Carolina's Senator DeMint a no show for the vote.
As of today, the leadership in the Republican Party don't find it important or are too busy plotting the next "how can we undermine THAT ONE" game to actually do something, anything constructive.
It is utter hypocrisy when the Republican Party rail about national security and go all hawkish on the Democrats and yet when it is time to act to defend the national security of the Country, they are missing in action or playing politics and for that amongst many things they must be exposed.
Senate ratification of New START treaty would require a two-thirds vote which means 9 Republicans in the current congress, or 14 next year have to vote for it when the new congress is in session.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been very instrumental in the back door negotiations with her Russian counterpart and has made clear she wants to see a vote before newly elected senators take their seats.
So does the President and this is why?
The President's Weekly Address (4.:39 minutes)
The President says ratifying the New START, a pivotal treaty with Russia on nuclear weapons, must happen this year. He explains that failure to ratify the treaty this year would not only mean losing our nuclear inspectors in Russia, but also undermine the international coalition pressuring Iran, put at risk the transit routes used to equip our troops in Afghanistan, and undo decades American leadership and bipartisanship on nuclear security.
Read the Transcript
ACTION *** ACTION *** ACTION *** ACTION *** ACTION
CALL YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO APPROVE THE START TREATY
The White House has made it clear and has pledged that Congress would not be leaving on Christmas Vacation before voting on the Treaty. While more Republicans have come out in favor of the Treaty, according to LA Time, "Republican senators, led by Arizona's Jon Kyl, say they can't support a reduction in U.S. nuclear efforts unless there is more attention paid to modernizing the forces and the infrastructure." The Administration, in response, has increased its funding to modernization of the forces increasing its initial funding by $4 billion.
The other argument as noted in the same articleis:
The main thrust of many GOP complaints and goes to the idea that somehow the Russians are getting the best of the negotiations and that U.S. security is jeopardized. The United States is further along in missile defense systems than Russia, so for Republicans, limiting those systems would hurt the United States. The same logic applies to tactical weapons, since Russia has more of them, though their actual value in combat is the subject of debate.
The administration counters that the treaty has nothing to do with missile defense systems. "The treaty does not contain any constraints on testing, development or deployment of current or planned U.S. missile defense programs or current or planned United States long-range conventional strike capabilities."
To me, it appears like a typical stalling tactics that has been evident through out the last two years in the process to weakening this President by taking away one more thing he can claim as an achivement for Americans.
According to the Gallup poll conducted between Dec 3-6, 2010, finds that 51% support for ratification of the Treaty with 30% not supporting it and 19% with no opinion. The CBS News Poll found as of Dec 3rd, 2010, when asked if people favor or oppose the Treaty, 82% favored the idea.
ACTION *** ACTION *** ACTION *** ACTION *** ACTION
CALL YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO APPROVE THE START TREATY
In case you have not seen the press briefing President Obama and General Colin Powell had on December 01, 2010
Read the Transcript for more.
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President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in the Oval Office, January 27, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the final details of the START Treaty, in the Oval Office, Saturday, March 13, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev about the final details of the START Treaty, in the Oval Office, Saturday, March 13, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama meets with senior advisors in the Oval Office, prior to making a statement on the New START Treaty, March 26, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confers with Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes, and Deputy National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, as President Barack Obama talks with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in the Oval Office, prior to the announcement of the New START Treaty, March 26, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama announces the New START Treaty in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House, March 26, 2010. He is joined by, from left, Admiral Mike Mullen, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama talks with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, following the expanded delegation bilateral meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, April 8, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia deliver remarks at the signing ceremony for the New START Treaty at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, April 8, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus, share a toast during a luncheon at Prague Castle in Prague Prague, Czech Republic, April 8, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev meet for the first time to issue a joint statement announcing their pursuit of a new START treaty, at Winfield House in London, England, April 1, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama delivers his first major speech stating a commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons in front of thousands in Prague, Czech Republic, April 5, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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